In an ideal world, when something goes wrong with your roof, you would think that homeowners would always pay to have it fixed. This is not an ideal world, though. When considering a roof claim, the cause of the damage is the first thing that will need to be taken into consideration.
Acts of God
In most cases, if your roof is blown away during a tornado, ripped into by a branch, or some such event that you could not possibly have had any control over, then you should be covered.
Cases of Vandalism or Accidental Fire
You will probably also be covered if acts of vandalism have been perpetrated against you or if an accidental fire damages the roof.
Hail, Wind, and Rain Damage
These will also usually be covered in terms of your policy.
What if My Roof Collapses Due to Age
More likely than not, the repairs will end up being for your account in this case. You would need to check with the insurance company, but most do have clauses that relieve them of responsibility in cases of normal wear and tear.
Also, where damage is deemed to be as a result of inadequate maintenance, you will usually also find that there are issues in getting them to pay for the replacement.
To Know for Sure, Check With the Insurer
Every insurer is different, so be sure that you understand the full implications of the policy that you are choosing before you take another step.
The Amount of Coverage May Not be as Much as You Think
Now here’s a rub that very few people see coming. If your roof is less than ten years old, your insurer is likely to cover the full cost of repair, or in need, full roof replacement. If it is older, then things become trickier.
You might be shocked to find that while they still offer you cover, they pay out the depreciated value of the roof, instead of the actual replacement cost. They work on a figure of how much your roof was worth when it was damaged.
Which seems reasonable, until you realize that this is not going to cover the full cost of the repairs.
Not all insurance companies will do this. Some will pay out the full replacement cost, irrespective the age of the roof. The premiums, however, will be a little higher. If you have an older building, it could pay you to look into a premium like this instead.
Do Follow Their Procedures to the Letter
One thing that they may require you to do is to limit the damage as much as possible. This could mean having a tarp put up over the exposed area. Anything of this nature, though, should be handled by a professional.
Report the incident as soon as possible so that they can get the ball rolling and have the assessor sent out. This is the best way to ensure that you do not set a foot wrong. Mistakes made now could be costly and used as a reason to decline a claim made.
Either way, you should contact a licensed roofing contractor like Prominent Construction to come out and look at everything first.
If you don’t have a claim, here’s when you should consider replacing your asphalt shingle roof.
